Serie A | Atalanta 0-0 Lazio: Lookman return not enough for Dea

Atalanta gave Ademola Lookman his first start of the season, but they were denied a winning goal by Ivan Provedel and the woodwork, as decimated Lazio held on for a point.

La Dea were still unbeaten, albeit with a few too many stalemates, and their injury crisis calmed with the return of Charles De Ketelaere, Nicola Zalewski, Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini, with Raoul Bellanova, Odilon Kossounou, Sead Kolasinac and Mitchel Bakker still out. The big news was Ademola Lookman’s first start since going AWOL pre-season trying to force through a transfer to Inter. The Aquile rushed Mattia Zaccagni and Boulaye Dia back from injury, but Taty Castellanos, Nicolò Rovella, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Luca Pellegrini and Samuel Gigot were still sidelined.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

The Lazio injury problems intensified after just 22 minutes when Matteo Cancellieri limped off with a muscular issue, replaced by Gustav Isaksen.

Atalanta dominated possession with long spells of fairly ineffective passing moves, whereas the first real save saw Toma Basic’s free kick sting Marco Carnesecchi’s gloves.

Matteo Guendouzi also fired over the bar after a counter-attack sparked by Nuno Tavares and Zaccagni, while Ivan Provedel made his first save on 43 minutes when Davide Zappacosta slipped taking the shot from the edge of the area.

Lookman should’ve scored on 51 minutes, but turned a free header over from six yards on the De Ketelaere cross with only Provedel to beat.

Moments later, Mario Gila made a decisive interception as De Ketelaere pulled back from the by-line for the otherwise unmarked Lookman.

Ederson scuffed the finish straight at Provedel after good work in the build-up from De Ketelaere and Lookman, while Nuno Tavares made a crucial block on the Davide Zappacosta volley.

On the resulting corner, Mario Pasalic flicked it on to the back post only for Honest Ahanor to toe-poke wide from close range.

Atalanta finally introduced a centre-forward in the form of Nikola Krstovic and within two minutes he had forced a save out of Provedel at the near post when springing the offside trap in the centre circle.

Provedel made a sensational fingertip save on the Lookman finish that squirmed through a sea of legs, taking a slight nick off Adam Marusic’s shin. He also had to be alert on Krstovic’s looping header from the resulting corner.

When the Lazio goalkeeper was finally beaten by a Davide Zappacosta angled drive on 80 minutes, he was rescued by the base of the upright, then quick enough to parry the Marten de Roon follow-up.